Back to the news…

Since this is an “inbetween Fairs” week, I thought I’d get you caught up on what’s going on right now in country music.

First of all, how many of you remember Angela Hacker, winner of the fifth season of Nashville Star. I liked her, I liked her music. I often visit her MySpace page to listen to songs from her first album, The Winner is Angela Hacker.” Sadly, Angela has joined the ranks of other Nashville Star winners, Buddy Jewell and Brad Cotter, who are currently without a major record label.

Our most famous Nashville Star contestant (she didn’t even win the show), is Miranda Lambert. She finished in third place, and shortly after her platinum-selling 2005 debut album, Kerosene, went to the top of the country charts. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend followed Kerosene, and also produced some chart-toppers for Miranda. On Saturday, Aug. 23, Miranda and one of the members of her band were on line in an Xbox Halo3 competition with her fans. She is also Xbox’s artist of the month.

Rascal Flatts fans will enjoy hearing that the group has put together Rascal Flatts Greatest Hits Volume 1. Some of the songs included in this great album include Prayin’ For Daylight; I’m Movin’ On; I Melt; and one of my favorites, Feels like Today. I got to see this group perform a few years back at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, and someone told me I should go again – the guys gets better every day.

I just got my Sept. 6 issue of Country Weekly magazine in the mail. Taylor Swift got the cover, and a story called Lessons I’ve Learned. In the exclusive interview, Taylor talks about family and friends, falling in love and being a role model. It’s a good article. Country Weekly writers always do a great job with their stories.

For fans of Tammy Wynette and Marty Robins, there are a few DVD’s you might want to pick up, or get on your Christmas list this year. They are the first two in a planned series of DVD’s, putting television performances from the entertainers careers on to DVD’s for us to enjoy. I’m definitely a fan of the old country music…and the new… and the stuff in the middle, too.

I want to thank Country Weekly magazine for seeing in Randy Houser what I saw nearly three months ago. In a brief in the new issue, titled “The Voice of Country’s Future,” CW said “He’s one of country’s newest and brightest!” I couldn’t agree more. His first single, Anything Goes,” is being played on radio stations all over the country.

Don’t forget that Randy will be making his national television debut on Thursday, Aug. 28, on Late Night with David Letterman. It airs on CBS at 11:30 p.m. here in East Tennessee, but please check your local listings for time and network, because you won’t want to miss this one.

That’s all for tonight. Thanks again for reading my chatter… and thank you all for the comments and e-mails you’ve been sending my way. Talk to you real soon!Countrycountry5@hotmail.com